Last weekend, I was participated in the 2023 Casting for Recovery Oregon North retreat at Lake Creek Lodge, in Camp Sherman, OR. While I’ve been a River Helper in previous years, 15 happened to arrive, so I volunteered to be the photographer for the day. If you’d like to support another retreat similar to this,…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Dr. William Baigent’s Brown. I found Baigent’s Brown recently and pulled out the materials to tie one. Robert Smith, author of The North Country Fly: Yorkshire’s Soft Hackle Tradition (2015), writes his own blog entitled The Sliding Stream. I encourage you to check it out. Here is a…
Opening day. It used to be a long-awaited day which meant I could go trout fishing again. I was lucky to live within driving distance to rivers emptying into the Pacific Ocean with runs of salmon and steelhead. I fished for them during the winter months, but opening day of trout season was a red-letter…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Little Olive Wonder Wing Stone. I tied this size 18 fly using olive CDC for the body and barred dun for the wing and hackle. In researching a different fly, I found that Chauncy Lively tied a Little Black Stonefly using Wonder Wings to imitate the natural…
I’m in Maui where I found warmer weather than home…between 30 – 40 degrees warmer! I brought a vise, tools, and a few materials with me and am tying the wings and tail for a Green Drake Sparkle Dun. That’s right, I almost always take my fly tying materials and tools if I plan to…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Fire Coachman Trude Dry Fly. I was searching for a fly to feature and pulled out John Shewey’s Favorite Flies for Oregon (2021) book. I turned to the Fire Coachman Trude dry fly and decided to tie one. (Note: My own RiverKeeper Soft Hackle Cripple can be found in…
How long has it been since you’ve been fishing? I thought so…it’s been a while, hasn’t it? But the good news is the weather is bound to change by the end of the month and May will bring some exciting insect hatches! You need to be prepared for that first day on the water. I…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Chauncy Lively’s March Brown Dun. I’m continuing this month’s theme to feature March Brown Mayfly imitations. I found this fly in The Founding Flies by Mike Valla in chapter 30. It’s a favorite book in my library and I’d encourage you to purchase your own copy if you…
I’ve heard more insects have been hatching on my home waters, but I haven’t experienced it yet. It’s spring after all! I say that as I look outside at a couple inches of new snow. I was out a few days ago, the first time since we returned from Argentina. Yes, that’s a long time…
This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is Chuck Stranahan’s Brindle Hackle Multi Colored Body Parachute. Most fly fishers know this fly as the Brindle Chute, a shortened name. Chuck was the owner of Chuck Stranahan’s Flies & Guides which he closed in February 2022. Chuck developed the Brindle Chute to imitate the Hecuba mayfly on his home…
